Environmental stewardship gets recognition

21/05/2009

A small abattoir linked to a wholesale business located in North Queensland has taken out the red meat industry's top environmental award.

The Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Environmental and Sustainability Award was presented to Andrew Kemp, Kemp Meats, Sarina, by MLA Chairman Don Heatley at the Red Meat Industry Awards ceremony in Rockhampton recently.

According to the judges, the winner demonstrated '…innovative solutions to manage an environmental issue - solutions which have also made the business more sustainable and profitable'.

"With increasingly stringent environmental requirements in the Sarina catchment area, the business established an internal by-products/rendering plant. The first stage of this produces sufficient energy from animal tallow to run the site's energy and heating systems.

"Both diesel and electricity costs, principally used to generate heat and drive machinery, have now been reduced by 50 percent."

Mr Heatley said protecting the environment is a key responsibility for the red meat industry and a vital part of maintaining its ongoing sustainability, and that Kemp Meats was an outstanding example of what environmental stewardship is really about.

"This is a outstanding example of environmental stewardship in action. I commend Kemp Meats for the dedication to the environment and congratulate Andrew for taking out this award," Mr Heatley said.

"There is no doubt that the red meat industry is facing increasing pressure to demonstrate its environmental credentials and to prove that it is actively going about reducing its environmental footprint at every point along the supply chain."

MLA, on behalf of the red meat industry, is undertaking a long-term communications campaign to promote the environmental credentials of the Australian sheep and cattle industry.

The communications campaign, which will include advertising in major newspapers, will be directed at those living in metropolitan areas and will highlight the raft of positive environmentally-focussed activities being carried out by Australia's livestock producers.

This year's new award category for environmental/sustainability achievement attracted the largest contingent of entries of any division, representing processing, lotfeeding, industry education & extension and extensive beef production.

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Released by: Nigel Gosse, MLA Media Affairs Manager, 02 9463 9360.